This is the third album by Italian’s MaterDea. Their sound is best described as folk/pagan symphonic metal, with the ‘pagan’ a result of their mythical lyrics evoking images of ancient forests and the folk of a celtic flavour. They are not symphonic in vocal style, but in the strong strings elements. The album has been mastered by prolific engineer Mika Jussila of Finnvox studios, whose previous clients include Tuomas Holopainen, Amberian Dawn and Finntroll.

‘A Rose For Egeria’ is more metal than it’s predecessor ‘Satyricon’ due to being richer and overall more powerful. It is has less of a doomy and 70’s prog metal sound than the previous album, however there are still a few prog keyboard sections which fit perfectly with the style. If I had not heard Satyricon I would think they had a totally modern sound. I find these elements of older styles make them stand out from other bands of the genre and is a strength. Another strength is that their music is strongly driven by vocal melodies which makes then stand out. It is a very feminine record without being overly girly and soft. They are difficult to compare to other bands but a cross between Edenbridge and Lyriel springs immediately to mind.

‘A Rose for Egeria’ is definitely deserving as the title song, being complex, expansive and interesting to listen too. As with ‘Satyricon’ I find this album easy to listen to in it’s entirety and don’t feel the urge to skip any tracks, actually even more so than with it’s predecessor, because the slightly cheesy golem-like spoken samples are absent. If you enjoy MaterDea’s sound you won’t skip a track either. ‘Land of Wonder’ is a galloping folk song more in the rock style the previous album and is an example of the variety of this album.

The band seem to mostly play in home country but I hope to be able to catch them live as soon as possible. They are a great band who will remain a feature of my playlist for some time.

Review by Victoria Fenbane

Track Listing

01. Beyond the Painting
02. Tàlagor of the Storms
03. Whispers of the Great Mother
04. Merlin and the Unicorn
05. A Rose for Egeria
06. An Unexpected Guest
07. Land of Wonder
08. Altars of Secrets
09. Prelude to the Rush
10. Running all Night with the Wind
11. Haerelneth’s Journey